4 youths killed by 'White Van' squads in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 12:31 GMT]Bodies of four youths, abducted earler by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) trooper and collaborating paramilitaries driving white vans, were found in Jaffna district Tuesday morning, civil society sources in Jaffna said. White van abductions, subsequent killings, and harassment of civilians by SLA soldiers riding in field bikes, have increased at an alarming rate in Jaffna, where amidst prevailing dire economic conditions residents are also gripped with fear from SLAs brutal counter-insurgency campaign, civil society sources and human rights activists in Jaffna said.

Bodies of Muthulingam Sathiyaseelan, 25, from Arali Road, Puthiyakudiyiruppu in Ottumadam Jaffna, and Kunapalasingam Sureshkumar, 28, from Manipay Road in the same area of Ottumadam were found with gunshot wounds along KKS Road near Nachimar Kovilady in Chunnakam Tuesday morning.

Ottumadam residents said the youths were abducted late Monday from their homes by armed men in a white van, and were shot dead midnight Monday.

The body of Mr. Sasi, 30, from Avarangal Valigamam East, was found near his home at 2:00 am Tuesday, sources in Jaffna said. SLA soliders had earlier visited the area looking for the victim, who the locals said, the SLA suspected of complicity in the claymore attacks near the victim's home.

The body has been transferred to Atchuvely hospital for postmortem examinations, hospital sources said.

Meanwhile, the burnt body of Saravanapavananthan Hariharan, 24, an employee at the private airline operator Aero Lanka, who was abducted by armed men in Chunnakam junction at midnight Sunday, was recovered near Paranchothi Vidyalayam in Kondavil Tuesday morning.

His body has been taken to Jaffna Teaching Hospital for postmortem examinations.